"It's been such a blessing to play with that dude," Ravens linebacker Dannell Ellerbe says of Reed. "He's just so much of a leader that's behind the scenes, man. He don't need the cameras or anything. He's a guy that you respect, because he really don't care about being in the limelight. He just wants to make sure all his players are doing good. He cares only about this team. That's just a guy you want to play for."

Reed's leadership within the structure of the Ravens has always been harder to appreciate than Lewis', in large part because it lacks the public theatricality of the linebacker's fiery sideline and locker room speeches. Reed doesn't sit for interviews very often. Lewis, Flacco, Ray Rice and Terrell Suggs all field questions from the media on a weekly basis, but the Ravens don't ask Reed to do the same because they know how much he dislikes it. He'll typically talk to reporters at his locker after each game, but not always. When the Ravens lost the AFC Championship Game to New England a year ago, Reed ignored questions from the media with a playful smile and instead chose to walk around the visitors locker room in Gillette Stadium singing "Love TKO" by Teddy Pendergrass.

Bullstarch. You have fallen for all the hype- he doesn't 'mentor' anyone...Ed's a loner.

He works out in Miami with his "U" buddies, not in Baltimore. And he won't in Houston either.

Again, he's not the leader in the lockerroom you think he is. Ray Lewis owned that lockerroom.

He leads by example, from what I've seen of him on game days. He holds down his end of the bargain, and he gambles like most any superstar does. Everybody who is great is bound to fail. Wade Phillips entire scheme is predicated on guys taking chances.

Ray dances, Ray talks, Ray gets in front of the cameras. Hell, he's already on with ESPN right now. BOOM! Instant paycheck, who would've guessed that happening that quickly? Everyone.

Fine, you seem to think that your cast-offs are **** and anybody getting your scraps is just living outside of reality. Fine. You got our castoff and nobody here thought he'd do what he did for your team. NOBODY did. There was even rumors he was going to get cut at the end of training camp because he was dropping everything in practice. What happened? A lot.

A lot can happen with any player. The Colts dropped Manning like 2-week old fish...all he did was take a Broncos team and pretty much did what Manning does a lot of: Play QB pretty freaking well. Sure, the Colts went with youth and future (by getting Luck). Duh. Still, Manning was not done.

And I don't think guys like Woodson or Reed are done. What they did for their respective long-term teams does not mean they're 100% washed up. It just means there's no 4 or 5-year deal in their future. That's the way it goes. Guys like Manning, Woodson, Reed, they're living year-to-year now.

So please, enjoy the discussion (like we know we do among ourselves), but every single comment from you has been snarky and full of sarcasm and contempt for any Texans' poster's responses to why Ed Reed might not be a bad deal for us.

You have to consider the circumstances, which all teams must. Right? Right.

"It's been such a blessing to play with that dude," Ravens linebacker Dannell Ellerbe says of Reed. "He's just so much of a leader that's behind the scenes, man. He don't need the cameras or anything. He's a guy that you respect, because he really don't care about being in the limelight. He just wants to make sure all his players are doing good. He cares only about this team. That's just a guy you want to play for."

Reed's leadership within the structure of the Ravens has always been harder to appreciate than Lewis', in large part because it lacks the public theatricality of the linebacker's fiery sideline and locker room speeches. Reed doesn't sit for interviews very often. Lewis, Flacco, Ray Rice and Terrell Suggs all field questions from the media on a weekly basis, but the Ravens don't ask Reed to do the same because they know how much he dislikes it. He'll typically talk to reporters at his locker after each game, but not always. When the Ravens lost the AFC Championship Game to New England a year ago, Reed ignored questions from the media with a playful smile and instead chose to walk around the visitors locker room in Gillette Stadium singing "Love TKO" by Teddy Pendergrass.

"It's been widely reported, dissected and then anointed (in retrospect) as the turning point in Baltimore's season. Ravens coach John Harbaugh had what felt like a mutiny on his hands. The 50-year-old coach told his players he wanted to begin preparation for Baltimore's game against the Cleveland Browns by practicing in full pads, a rarity for a midseason Wednesday in the NFL, and his players -- still feeling battered and bruised -- were furious. Lewis was in Florida rehabbing his torn triceps, so it was Reed and Bernard Pollard who openly confronted their coach in front of the team, kicking off what players have described as a "group therapy session" in which they were able to air a number of grievances and frustrations."

And now Pollard is released. You guys didn't like Pollard and thought he was a cancer. Now you want Ed Reed.

"It's been widely reported, dissected and then anointed (in retrospect) as the turning point in Baltimore's season. Ravens coach John Harbaugh had what felt like a mutiny on his hands. The 50-year-old coach told his players he wanted to begin preparation for Baltimore's game against the Cleveland Browns by practicing in full pads, a rarity for a midseason Wednesday in the NFL, and his players -- still feeling battered and bruised -- were furious. Lewis was in Florida rehabbing his torn triceps, so it was Reed and Bernard Pollard who openly confronted their coach in front of the team, kicking off what players have described as a "group therapy session" in which they were able to air a number of grievances and frustrations."

And now Pollard is released. You guys didn't like Pollard and thought he was a cancer. Now you want Ed Reed.

I don't remember Pollard being a cancer, a coverage liability yes, but a cancer?

"It's been widely reported, dissected and then anointed (in retrospect) as the turning point in Baltimore's season. Ravens coach John Harbaugh had what felt like a mutiny on his hands. The 50-year-old coach told his players he wanted to begin preparation for Baltimore's game against the Cleveland Browns by practicing in full pads, a rarity for a midseason Wednesday in the NFL, and his players -- still feeling battered and bruised -- were furious. Lewis was in Florida rehabbing his torn triceps, so it was Reed and Bernard Pollard who openly confronted their coach in front of the team, kicking off what players have described as a "group therapy session" in which they were able to air a number of grievances and frustrations."

And now Pollard is released. You guys didn't like Pollard and thought he was a cancer. Now you want Ed Reed.

Nobody here thought Pollard was a cancer, he just couldn't cover to save his life, which was especially bad next to Ewwwwwwwwwwwgene Wilson's ghost of a career.

"It's been widely reported, dissected and then anointed (in retrospect) as the turning point in Baltimore's season. Ravens coach John Harbaugh had what felt like a mutiny on his hands. The 50-year-old coach told his players he wanted to begin preparation for Baltimore's game against the Cleveland Browns by practicing in full pads, a rarity for a midseason Wednesday in the NFL, and his players -- still feeling battered and bruised -- were furious. Lewis was in Florida rehabbing his torn triceps, so it was Reed and Bernard Pollard who openly confronted their coach in front of the team, kicking off what players have described as a "group therapy session" in which they were able to air a number of grievances and frustrations."

And now Pollard is released. You guys didn't like Pollard and thought he was a cancer. Now you want Ed Reed.

umm...this articulates what others are saying. It states his leadership and how he recognized issues and voiced them. That is what leaders do. Followers sit there on their hands saying nothing. Leaders on the football team should speak openly to the coach to discuss issues that coaches may not see because coaches don't see it all or know it all. That is why you want leaders on your team to be that voice, be those eyes and be that bridge between player and coach.

Don't remember anyone believing Pollard was a cancer. Maybe some did, who knows. The main and general thought was he couldn't cover in the way Wade utilizes his safeties and was strictly a box safety.

"It's been such a blessing to play with that dude," Ravens linebacker Dannell Ellerbe says of Reed. "He's just so much of a leader that's behind the scenes, man. He don't need the cameras or anything. He's a guy that you respect, because he really don't care about being in the limelight. He just wants to make sure all his players are doing good. He cares only about this team. That's just a guy you want to play for."

Reed's leadership within the structure of the Ravens has always been harder to appreciate than Lewis', in large part because it lacks the public theatricality of the linebacker's fiery sideline and locker room speeches. Reed doesn't sit for interviews very often. Lewis, Flacco, Ray Rice and Terrell Suggs all field questions from the media on a weekly basis, but the Ravens don't ask Reed to do the same because they know how much he dislikes it. He'll typically talk to reporters at his locker after each game, but not always. When the Ravens lost the AFC Championship Game to New England a year ago, Reed ignored questions from the media with a playful smile and instead chose to walk around the visitors locker room in Gillette Stadium singing "Love TKO" by Teddy Pendergrass.

OMG!

So like, I wasn't just bull****ting then, huh? I mean, I actually stated a position and what do you know...it is true! Wow.

See, handswarmer...just because Ray was the public face of that defense doesn't mean it was entirely led by Ray. Please stop making it sound like Ed Reed was garbage. I mean, really. It is what it is: Guy is older, he isn't getting the 4 or 5-year deals that younger guys are...it happens. He's living year to year, and we need a stop-gap solution for now.